Phantom Regiment: The Graceful Entrance
by Z.E.H
Summary: Hogwarts in 1851! Adventures gallore, Albus Dumbledore? Check out my characters that I made up. I do not own any of the concepts, just most of the characters
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any concepts of Harry Potter. I only own the characters in this story, except the Dumbledore brothers.   
  
Wanted: Reviews and even rants!! Lemme know how you feel about this story   
  
Ashley jumped as the in coming train shreeked to let the new students attend their school. She had been intesely concentrated on her new copy of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. It was a fantastically horrifying book, but her parents had suggested that she read Muggle classic books, seeing how she had already devoured the Wizard's classics. At first, judging by the picture on the corner, she thought that Muggles had found Wizard's out and copied their potions techniques. She was relieved to learn that it was all fiction based on little to no reality.   
  
As she stared up at the massive new gold train, Ashley felt a certain pride to be one of the first students to travel on the train. The Muggle invention proved to be useful to travel to the school, although there were some tweaks to it, so the young wizards and witches could begin their journey.   
  
Mrs. Auld heled Ashley carry her bags to the storage car in silence. The motherly woman had been quiet the whole while and Ashley did not know what to make of it, so she let her mother remain in silence and did not question.   
  
"Good bye, mother," Ashley called back to her mother as she headed towards the boarding car. "I'll see you at Christmas. I love y-"   
  
Mrs. Auld tackled her daughter in a fierce bear hug, holding back tears as she embraced her only child. Ashley had not expected such a loving attack that day, but she returned the hug, closing her eyes. "I will greatly miss you, " Mrs. Auld whispered into Ashley's ear, choking on sadness and tears. She pulled her daughter closer one last time before she let her board the train.   
  
Ashley walked more slowly aboard the train, looking back upon her mother, attempting with great difficulty to not bawl out loud. Clearly she had never been away from her mother as long as she was about to be. 


	2. Part 2

Dameon placed all his personals on the rails just above his seat. He had not packed too much, but still there were those select items that he absolutely did not allow out of his sight or in a insecure place.   
  
He hopped down off the cushioned seat, only to sit back down in it, contemplating his fate at the school. Over the years, he had struggled with his wizardry, trying hard to get away from the horrors of his life. Get away to this school, this sanctuary, this haven. It was going to be wonderous.   
  
He smiled at the corners of his lips, glancing out the window as numerous parents bid farewell to their children. His smile slowly faded as he remembered his own parents, remembered their disgust when they first read the letter and their hatred when they learned of him embracing his wizarding side. He sighed and tried not to think too much of them.   
  
The door to the compartment slid open just them. A boy, no older than Dameon, stood there, long black hair brushing his shoulders and neatly groomed, two peircing blue eyes that demanded no more than business. He flashed a smile and stepped inside. "Hello," he siad. "Is anyone else here? No? Good."   
  
He sat down and jerked his head to move his hair away from his face. Dameon brought tentative fingers to his own hair, long and black like this boy's, except it was bushy, tangeled, so long it touched the small of his back. He promised himself that he would clean it, mayber even cut it so it wouldn't look like THEIRS!   
  
"I'm Hydran Black," the boy said holding out his hand.   
  
"Oh, sorry, I'm Baron Dameon DeBarbarack," Dameon replied, shaking his hand.   
  
Hydran pulled it back quickly, as soon as Dameon let go, and wiped it on his pants. "French huh? Must be that exchange program." Dameon nodded, purposely ingnoring the anoyed drawl. "Well, I guess it's alright. Better than putting in mudbloods."   
  
"Excuse me?"   
  
"Oh, the lingo must be different there. A mudblood is a freak who had a muggle parent. Why would Hogwarts even dream of excepting anything other than pure bloods."   
  
"Well, I'm not a pureblood," Dameon said, trying out the word for the first time.   
  
"Oh," Hydran siad, doning a disgusted look that distorted his handsome features.   
  
A voice choked in Dameon's throat at that look, clawing on the inside of his skull, demanding that he do aweful things to this boy. Luckily, they were both saved the trouble as another boy slid open the door.   
  
"Hydran! There you are. Come on, we found a compartment." Hydran smiled in relief and stood to follow him. At the entrance he gave on last look to Dameon, disgusted as he looked him up and down, taking in all his features.   
  
Dameon had to bite hs tongue until it bled to suppress the voice. 


	3. Part 3

Hannah was spread out onto two seats, lazily drawing symbols in the air with her hand. The train had begun to move, but she failed to notice, humming a merry diddy to herself. She had shoved a stick into the latch on the door so it could not open, so she could have her privacy and just doze off. Frankly, Hannah did not appriciate her friends from the past and did not care to make any new ones; wizard, witch, or tree frog. Enough was enough.   
  
Then the door started to shaking. "Oh! Come on! Don't tell me this is locked," a boy's voice from the other side said.   
  
"Nope!" Hannah called back.   
  
"Then why won't it open?"   
  
Hannah grinned to herself. "Because I put a stick in the latch."   
  
"WHAT!? Oh please open the door!! There's no other empty room things and some stupid brutes kicked me out of mine and now I'll have to sit the train ride on the floor in the hall like an idiot!"   
  
"Suck it up and deal," Hannah said, inpecting her fingernails.   
  
"Pleeeeeease? I don't want to sit out here, its cramped, and besides this is the last department on the train!"   
  
"Compartment."   
  
"Same thing!"   
  
Hannah titled her head back over the arm rest and looked at the sillouette of the boy. It looked something like a ruffled bird with shoulders.   
  
"You're the last person I've pleaded to! Please open the door!" He sounded desparate.   
  
Hannah sighed and stood. 'Damn my soft nature, I gave in too quickly,' she thought when she slid open the door. A bushy haired boy in a long coat ran shoulder first into her, knocking her to the ground, winded.   
  
"Oh my god! I'm sorry!" the boy, scrawny and terrified, said in his panicky voice. "I really did not mean to do that! You see, I was attempting-"   
  
"You were going to knock the door down?!" Hannah asked in disbelief, rubbing her diaphram. The boy sat back and looked pathetic as well as sorry.   
  
"It's okay," Hannah said, sitting up. "Just one thing." She pulled her arm back and power punched him where he had tackled her. He sat back and coughed.   
  
Hannah smiled. "There, now we're even. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to sleep." She got up and lied down on the seats, slumping lazily. The boy sat down on the other side. They passed the time in silence, the boy trying hard to be quiet, but he ended up making rustling noises every time he shifted. Hannah opened her eyes and sighed.   
  
"My name's Hannah."   
  
"Kurt." 


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: I do not own the concepts mentioned in this story. I do not own Dumbeldore. . . although some days I wish I did. . . it would be nice to have a wizard body gaurd. . .I do own (however) most of the other characters and their names.

Thank you: HamburgerGirl. You have successfully gotten on my good side!! Go you! More character development later. This is just a prelude!

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Adam wondered how the hell he had ended up here. He had no clue that he was a wizard one day, and here he was on this train, with these twins throwing curse from their wands, back and forth at each other, the next. They had not yet suspected that he had no clue what he was talking about. Adam was good at that. Making people think that he was witty and smart, when really he was just an idiot who fluttered through life and had no clue what he was doing. Adam had put on this act for about an hour now and was going strong.   
  
The twins he had met, Albus and Aberforth, were identical in every way so that they could've have very well been the same person. But now, Albus had blue hair, his tongue was aflame, had a snake's tail that rattled every once and a while, and a puffy swollen stomach. Whereas Aberforth had rabbit's ears, large brown spots on his face, a squacking bird's beak, and stumps where his hands used to be.   
  
This is called the Wish Spell. Their parents had created it when the twins were young so the boys could have whatever they wanted. They had both grown up unselfish and caring children, despite the spell, and used it for only good purposes rather than evil. Unless it had concerned their look-a-like, whereas they inflicted an assortment of torture to their brother.   
  
All the while they had been answering numerous questions from the forth passenger, a near Squib that went by the name of Timothy Benigin. Timothy was a skinny, pallid, terrified looking boy. His large pale blue eyes seemed to be sunken into his skull. His hair was thin and a light half dead brown color that framed his face as hair on a rotting corpse would. He was layered in so many sweaters that it made him look obese and his skinny, pencil neck and skull-like head seemed disproportional, yet he shivered as if he were naked and encased in snow. The fact that there were two insane, eleven year old boys playing catch with curses probably would've added a bit of terror to the mix, but it had made him smile, even laugh.   
  
He would ask simple questions about the wizarding world and the twins would answer, but due to the change of their physicality, they were uncapable of answering anything. Aberforth could only squak and Albus was attempting to extinguish his tongue. So for the last ten minutes, Adam had been bullshitting poor Timothy.   
  
"Whats the houses like?" he asked.   
  
"I wouldn't know on account that this is my first time there too, but I hear that they are constantly bickering like-" he ducked to avoid a curse which left a singed spot on the back of the chair. "Two twin boys who don't know how to aim." The two boys smiled apologetically and returned to curse fighting.   
  
"How do you get into the different houses?" Timothy asked.   
  
For Adam, when he was thinking up clever lies , time moved slowly and carefully, so he could construct a perfect, convincing lie, shape his face so no one could tell he was fibbing, and coat his voice with such a rich and sugary tone so that he could pull in an audience. The larger amount of people that believed it, the more true it was.   
  
"Well, its a test. To see if you fit in with the right house. This test evaluates your whole body and spirit, inside and out. Takes control, putting you through situations to see waht you would do. Once you've passed, which everybody does, don't worry, you go into your house, where everyone accepts you because they need more fire power to go at it against the other houses. But that feeling of acceptance. . . it's going to be the absolute best feeling in the world. Like crying becuase your happy or the second you sell your soul to the devil to get just what you want, without a care that you've just signed away your life."   
  
Adam had gotten into it, dug into his own emotions and spilled them out on the table like a bag full of jewels. The twins had stopped bickering, returned to normal, and into their seats. The three other boys stared at Adam. His lying tricks had worked again. A little better than he expected.   
  
"Wow," said Albus.   
  
"Do you know a lot about Hogwarts?" asked Aberforth.   
  
"No," said Adam with a little nervous laugh, breaking the spell. "I'm just a little excited right now. I can expect to get a feeling of acceptance here, that's all."   
  
The fearful, first year tenseness in the room had lightened a little, due to Adam's silver tongue.

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Corny I know. . . If you don't know where I got Adam Douglas from, you should be shot and buried in a dark place where none of your loved ones may find you!! Bwahahahaa cough cough --;

Second, I am not sure if Aberforth and Albus are twins. . .I just know that they are brothers. I like them as twins though so XP


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: Yet again, I still do not own Rowling's work. I just do stuff w/ it. If you like what you see, ask before playing.

Thanks: no new thanks. Still hamburger Girl

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Joesph jumped as the train came to a stop. The other kids in the compartment shifted awake slowly. They were all older and taller than Joesph who was 11 and 4'10". The 15 year old girl who was sitting next to him had slumped on to his shoulder and had drooled on his fresh new robes, worn for the first time.   
  
"Sorry," she said sleepily and handed him a hankerchief to wipe up her mess.   
  
"I-it's okay," Joesph's shaking voice betrayed him. His foreboding (sp?) feeling would not wear off and left him in a panicked state. This feeling of dread had been heavy on his heart ever since his owl first came home with this strange and foreign note from Hogwarts. His parents had been all a twitter, excited to buy him his first robes and cauldron, to get his wand repaired. He did not tell them that something aweful was going to happen. They would become upset and think he did not appriciate his good fortune. So he kept quiet.   
  
He trudged off the train, keeping his eyes on his feet. He followed the crowd until he bumped into what felt like the skinniest tree trunk in his life. A tall, thin man, built and shaped like a twig, towered over the crowd. He smiled gently down at Joesph.   
  
"Hello there," he said.   
  
Joesph shook. It seemed this man's voice added to the foreboding feeling.   
  
"Are you a first year?" Joesph could only, slowly, nod his head once. "You belong over there," the man said, placing a hand on Joesph's shoulder, causing him to quiver more, and faced him in the direction of a dark lake before the majestic castle that was Hogwarts. Numerous glittering lights bounced off of the reflection of the castly in the lake, as were there more on the boats waiting at the shore.   
  
Joesph quickly ran away from this man to the boats. There was a woman there, in one of the boats, helping children find seats in others. Joesph quickly ran in to her boat with two other girls already in there.   
  
Breathing heavily, he stared back at the tall thin man, wishing never to see him again. The boat started moving, causing Joesph to jump again in surprise. He looked all around until his focus came on to the two girls in the boat. They were both staring at him strangely.   
  
One girl had white blonde, boyishly short hair, one gray eye and one blue. She had a slightly twisted feel to her presence. The other girl had short blonde hair, but not as white nor as short as the other girl's. This girl seemed as if she had not once smiled in her life.   
  
"Are you okay? Are you sick?" the girl with the different colored eyes asked.   
  
Joesph nodded timidly.   
  
"You're sick?"   
  
"No, no. . . . I'm not."   
  
She continued to stare again, but turned around to face the castle.   
  
Joesph attempted to relax. His hand dropped into the cool water, submerged to the wrist. It felt cool and refreshing, lifting the heavy feeling by a margin. Joesph smiled and the lightness of the water didn't change, not even when a large, scaly tentacle brushed over his fingertips. Whatever the creature was, it did not alter the happy feeling that Joesph now carried.   
  
Suddenly, there was a large unbalance in the feelings of good and bad around Joesph. He looked to all sides. The skinny man was to the east and traveling towards the school, but that wasn't the source; nor was the train leaving to the south of him.   
  
There was a tiny bad feeling to the west. The source was a boy. Dark black hair, wild and askew, downcast blue eyes that looked like a heavy dark storm. Joesph could not see these features due to the lack of light, but he knew this wasn't the source of the unbalance.   
  
But to the north, was the castle. It felt. . . good. Then he saw the source: in a window was a woman, old and friednly looking. She appeared to be talking to someone. She then turned to the window and faced the boats. Joesph could've sworn she smiled right at him, but he knew that it wasn't true. Still, it made him relax again and fear this building less and less.

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Kid w/ black hair and blue eyes is a Potter, I do not own that name. Whoot!! I should do my essay now. Procrastinating. School's over and I don't care doo daa doo daa!


	6. Part 6

Disclaimer: I STILL do not own them. . .probably won't.

Note: this one is the shortest and my favorite b/c Eli is introduced. . . and Malcom. . . and EliandMalcom hearts hyperventalates

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Inside Hogwarts, sitting on the steps in front of the Great Hall, were seven children. They had an array of skin tones, dark as night, pale as snow, tanned to gold, tanned to chocolate. It was a lovley rainbow of skin, but the children did not speak to each other. They sat in silence, tense feelings that choked them.   
  
One child, Eli Crane, broke the silence. He had been scratching himself due to the scratchy wool from his homemade uniform. He had gotten to his back and to that spot that no one can reach.   
  
"Uh. . .Cud someun 'elp me?" he asked, his accent husky and thick from Ban Demons Land (gah I butchered that!).   
  
The other kids looked at him, except from Racheal, a girl w/ curly black hair and all her baby fat, who remained staring at a fly that buzzed around her head. The two chinese boys, Wan and Li, turned back to face forward, not fully comprehending his request. The tall, pale boy, Randy, simply brought his knees to his chest, afraid of what might happen if he got up to help the poor boy.   
  
The brown skinned boy, also with a heavy accent from Kashmir, turned to Eli and said, "Well, you should have though of this situation before you put on that porqupine of a robe." He then huffed and face front. He was a violent boy, who believed in himself and only himself.   
  
The last child, a boy with dark skin, darker than the Kashmiri, and named Malcom, sighed stood up and went behind Eli and scratched his back. (RUN ON SENTENCE!!) Eli relaxed his arms and slumped his shoulders, his pain relieved.   
  
Malcom continued to scratch for a little while until he asked, "Is that good?"   
  
"A little to da left." Malcom shifted his hand, causing the little boy to smile in content. "Ah, yes, that's parfect. T'ank ya."   
  
Malcom stopped and returned to his seat next to Randy at the end.   
  
"Ay'll return da favor un day," Eli said, leaning forward to see Malcom.   
  
The black boy seemed surprised by Eli's statement, but he couldn't say anything in return for the rest of the first years came walking up the hallway and they had to enter the Great Hall for the first time.

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Yes, return the favor indeeeed hehehehe evil No really it is important. . kinda. This 'favor' leads up to stuff about Eli that is important. . .but for a later story. Nothing too important for this story however, but it is nice. . .I should not tell you what to follow!! You should just get it later on. . .iffen I keep up w/ this.


	7. Part 7

Disclaimer: I wish I wish I wish I hadn't sat on that fish. . . and had Harry Potter all to myself. . .sadly (or greatfully) it belongs to JK.

Notes: Robin time!! Whoot! To all those who care ::cough:: claire ::cough:: This is the sorting hat chapter. It goes fast ::snaps fingers:: so keep an eye out for stupid little jokes here and there. . .they're in the character names. One more thing: I do not own some of these names. . . Claire Belbusti is a good example of that. That belongs to Claire. She just needs to be there. Important shite later.

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Upon entering the massive Hall (no wonder it was called Great), Robin nearly fell over trying to look at the ceiling. If it wasn't for his new found friend, Luke, he would be on his back at that moment. Luke had gripped his arm to help him gain his balance and to bring him back to reality.   
  
Robin, who towered over the first years by a head, grinned down at Luke, the dark bags under his eyes scrunching up to make him look like he had indentical black eyes. Luke grinned back, the freckles on his own face scrunched together to to make it seem as if there was a brown line across his face.   
  
The two became friends almost immeadiatly. They had so much in common: they both Irish, they were both escorted to the Hogwarts Express by their elder brothers, and they both played a small recorder of sorts. Only Robin's attracted poltergists . . . Luke's just sounded pretty.   
  
The first years stopped in front of the teacher's table. An elderly woman stepped up to the front. "Welcome, first years. I am your head misstress, Helga Aerus. I hope to stay this way for your whole seven years, but you never know." She smiled, as if humored by the fact of unemployment or death. "Now, let us get to the poing of the dragon's wing!" She pulled out a lovely looking hat, looking almost as if it was new, but it was a little worn. "All right, out Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Moure, is now going to call off the list of names. When your name is called, come sit under the hat and you'll be sorted into your proper house."   
  
She nodded and a pathetic looking man, frail and rather demented, but friendly all the same, came up to the front. He pulled out a scroll from his sleve and began to recite the names.   
  
"Auld, Ashley." A girl with long, braided red hair sat under the hat. Not much longer, she was proclaimed the newest member of Gryffindor and the table erupted in cheers.   
  
"deBarbarack, Dameon."   
  
Robin turned to Luke, "Do you know what house you want to be in?"   
  
Dameon went to Ravenclaw.   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Oh, really? What house?"   
  
Hannah Barbera went to Slytherin.   
  
"Gryffindor."   
  
"Gryffindor? Why that house!?"   
  
Claire Belbusti became the second one in Ravenclaw.   
  
"Because that's what my brother was in. Why? Don't tell me you want to be in a house like Slytherin. . ."   
  
Timothy Benigin went to Slythering.   
  
"Well. . .yeah I do."   
  
"What!? Are you crazy!?"   
  
Hydran Black also went into Slytherin (no surprise there).   
  
"Same reason as you. My brother was in that house."   
  
Elan Bongdabesh went into Slytherin as well.   
  
Luke glared at Robin in confusion as to why someone so nice would want to be in such a dreary place. He faced front as Eli Crane was the first to be welcomed by Hufflepuff. Followed shortly by Jaques Defarge. Then it pingponged back from Jenifer Doublas in Gryffindow to Adam Douglas in Hufflepuff, back to both Aberforth and Albus Dumbledore in Gryffindor.   
  
The more children went up, the more Robin shook. He began to worry about numerous things. What happened if he didn't get into Slytherin? What happened if his only friend in Hogwarts was not in the same house with him? What exactly did the hat do?   
  
Racheal Ellis went into Hufflepuff.   
  
"Hey Luke," he whispered. Luke looked up at him as Joesph Elstien entered Gryffindor. "Promis to be my friend no matter what house we go in?"   
  
Luke stared at Robin for a little bit, the faint noises of Morticia Anglesun entering Slytherin in the background. 'How could someone this nice want to be in a house like that!?' Luke thought again. He recalled his brother telling shameful stories of the people in that house and the things they had done. Including the founder of the house. "Sure," Luke said with a smile and Puck Goodfellow went into Gryffindor.   
  
Robin returned the smile and refocused his attention at Hufflepuff's newest member, Sahra Gulla. His mind was settled on one matter, he'd have his friend. Thus far, he was one step ahead of everyone else in his class.   
  
Time passed as Randall Hamilton went into Gryffindor and Europa Io went into Ravenclaw. Then it was Robin's turn.   
  
"Killingham, Robin."   
  
Robin shakingly walked up to the rise, sat on the stool, and held his breath as the hat slipped onto his head and over his eyes. Robin crossed his fingers as they clutched the chair.   
  
'Oh my my my, what have we here,' the hat whispered. 'Gregory's little brother? Well it is true then, you are a lot like him.' Robin questioned what the hat meant. 'One of the most honest, good natured young men I have ever seen, yet belonging to a house opposite of your nature.'   
  
Robin began to whisper 'please' repeaditly, his knuckles turning white from clutching on to the chair.

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Yeah I know. . .its not much of a cliffhanger. But once again. . .this is just the prelude. .and intro. To the big story. That'll be coming soon. I have Chapter 2 part 1 going on paper. . .going fast I might add. . .who am I? I'm an artist not a writer. Someone stop me!!! ::runs off laughing like a maniac::


	8. part 8

Disclaimer: Sorry it was not mentioned earlier. . . heh. . . I do not own some of the names, the concept, and overall Hogwarts. . .wish I did, but I have to settle w/ my own made up characters. . .there's 23 of them in the Regiment by the by. (I also don't own some other things. . .cough Douglas Adams. . . Pendragon. . . Jack B. Nimble () )  
  
This is just the intro. . .heh. . .whoot. Special thanks (thus far) to hamburgergirl for being the only one to input. . .you go girl!!   
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After Robin Killingham went into Slytherin, McKenszie Kinely went into Hufflepuff and so did Malcom Madson (who faced a mass of negative attention due to the fact that he was the only black student in Hogwarts in the year 1851) it was finally Sandra McGonagall's turn. But after fighting mentally with the hat for Gryffindor, it deemed her best in Hufflepuff. Now she knew why they called it Hufflepuff: once in you huff a lot. Angrily she watched Anthony Naterman go into Ravenclaw, Jack Nimble join her in Hufflepuff, Michelle Nunsen-Torry go into Slytherin, and Robert Pendragon go into the house she so desired.   
  
Once Delila Pfiller sat down in Ravenclaw, a third year girl turned to Sandra and asked "What's wrong?"  
  
"I'm in Hufflepuff, that's what's wrong!" Sandra snapped at the girl.   
  
Devillon Potter went into Slytherin.  
  
The girl was not displeased, in fact she was still smiling. Sandra would've just dismissed it for stupidity if not for the next series of events. "You sound just like I did," she said.   
  
Lenore Ravenclaw went into Ravenclaw.   
  
Sandra snapped her head in anger at the girl and spat back, "What did you say!?"  
  
"I said, you sound just like I did," the smile not fading.   
  
The Slytherin table applauded as they welcomed in Jonah Rumpelstein.   
  
The girl continued talking. "My whole family thought I would be in Ravenclaw, I mean, they were all in Ravenclaw and I looked like Ravenclaw material, but here I am! And I was pretty upset about it just like you are."  
  
First year Sampson Tully sat down next to Sandra.   
  
The girl continued. "But after a little while, I began to understand why I was put in here. I had so much free time to learn extra things outside of classes and began to do some pretty amazing stuff. And when I got in trouble, I just played dumb. No one, and I mean no one, questions the ignorance of a Hufflepuff. You'd be amazed with the things you could get away with here."   
  
Harriet Turngeson went into Gryffindor.   
  
Sandra stared, mouth agape, then smiled. Maybe Hufflepuff wouldn't be so bad. She watched Kurt Vonnegon go into Slytherin, Elizabeth Warrington go into Ravenclaw, Luke Weasley got into Gryffindor, and Li When-Shi, Wan Xu, and Benjamen Zephski all went into Ravenclaw. Then she enjoyed her meal, talking with the third year, asking for wisdom. She even talked with the first years around her.   
  
The black boy sat alone at the end of the table, picking at his food. She stared at him in interest until a small tanned boy got up and joined him. The smaller boy started talking and laughing like there was no difference between the two of them. Sandra's nicer side got the better of her and she too joined them. Soon, the first years had congregated at the end of the table, rather than scrunched up with the upper classmen to stay away from the different boy.   
  
The black boy's name was Malcom; he was nice, friendly, and had very open and blunt opinions. He was from South Africa and was the adopted son of two white, Dutch, wizarding parents. Everyone had questions for him and made him feel welcome.  
  
Sandra decided that her new house was not so bad after all.

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Before you ask. . .this is not professor McGonagall. . . her name is Minerva!! Not Sandra!! Got it!?   
  
Secondly, if you have a problem w/ me pointing out that Malcom is a vast majority, I suggest you not read this story!! There's worse later on. . .   
  
REVIEW!! 


	9. Part 9

Disclaimer: I do not own any concepts of this story. . .just most of the characters.

Notes: Sorry about last chapter. I meant to say Minority instead of Majority in the note in the end.

Thanks: Galaxy Hitchhiker, yes tis a shame schools over. But I'll keep posting and writing and you can bug me some other time.

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After a rather lovely meal, Ben felt tired and full. Well, he always felt tired, but it was good to get up and walk to one's own room for the first time in his life. He had always been doted on his whole life and he was sick of it. Yes, he was spoiled, but he enjoyed living without the servants, the silken rooms, the gold, silver, and gemmed jewelry, the rich food. No, this was much better than all that. The common place uniforms, the ancient castle, the large array of kids. He smiled, his eyes half lidded. He was going to enjoy school.   
  
Without realizing, Ben had closed his eyes and shuffled away from the group. Since he was in the back, no one noticed him stray away.   
  
Ben's mind wandered back to his home. It was a cult. For what, he had no clue, but he did know that it revolved around him. That's why he was so spoiled. His wizarding parents had abandoned him at the cult's steps for some reason or another. But he was grateful. The cult was very wealthy and saying that they take care of him was an understatement.  
  
He smiled to himself, walking down some stairs that shifted and went to another floor just as he stepped off; he was sleep walking. He dreamed of the crazy things that some muggles did to a wizard to praise him.   
  
Ben walked into a suit of armor. "Oh, excuse me," he said, blinking his eyes open. "I wasn't. . . .watching. . .where I. . .where I. . . where is everybody?" He began to panic. Normally when he slept walk at home, someone was already there to direct him back to bed. Here it was different and he would have to get used to it.   
  
Ben closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and calming himself. He half hoped that he would be back with the group, but when he opened his eyes he was still staring down the armament. He sighed and attempted to retrace his steps without falling asleep again.   
  
After half and hour of walking up and down flights of stairs and not gaining any help from any of the ghosts that floated by (Ben's mental note : never talk to the ghost named Peeves again), he came full circle in front of the suit.   
  
He smiled pathetically at the masked face. "Salutations, friend," he said to it. "I hope it is of no trouble if I rest at your feet?" With that he sat down behind the armament in the light of a torch and leaned up against the wall. True, it was incredibly uncomfortable, but he was too exhausted to care. He was so exhausted that he could've sworn that he saw a woman dressed in blue walk on to the table of a still life painting in front of him.  
  
She looked directly at him and practically yelled, "Child!" He sat up as her voice echoed down the hallway. His eyes became wide to let the cold air wake them. "Are you Benjamin?" she asked him, this time in a voice a little more concerned.   
  
He nodded, his eyes growing heavy again. "Call me yawn Ben."  
  
"Okay, Ben. You're wanted in the Ravenclaw tower."  
  
"I got lost."  
  
"Of course you did. It's not your fault. It's your first time in the castle. Well then, on your feet, let's go!"  
  
Ben stood on tired, shaky legs and followed the painting as she walked into a painting of a horse which she ran her hand over as she passed it. "Who. . .what. .. are you?" Ben asked.  
  
"I am the woman study in blue. That's the name of my painting at least." Now that he looked closer, her pale skin was blue and her black hair had a bizarre blue tint.   
  
Ben's eyes lowered, but the woman was still talking so he would not fall asleep or stray away from her. She would also turn around to see if he was still behind her, almost every five minutes.   
  
"Honestly," she muttered. "A first year wanders off and they don't notice. Poor child must have my been completely frightened."  
  
"Actually I-"  
  
"And only when his roommates, the roommates for heaven's sake, more first years, not older classmates, not house heads, his own year's on their first night, discover his disappearance first."  
  
"Really it's -"  
  
"He could've been in serious trouble, for himself or others." Here she gasped. "He could've been killed."   
  
"But I-"  
  
"The poor dear. These Ravenclaws are not what they used to be. Their supposed to be astute and clever."  
  
"I'M FINE!!" Ben yelled.   
  
The lady in blue turned to him as a gargoyle brought a claw to his lips and shushed him. "Dear, please keep quiet. There are other people in this castle you know." She was in a frame with a complete blue setting, standing in such a way that she looked as if she belonged there. "The entrance to your dormitory is just down this hall. The password is Goblin Hair."   
  
Ben sighed and shuffled down the hallway. Getting into the tower through the common room, up the stairs to the appropriate dormitory and into his bed was a blur. There was a short, bustling woman who rushed him up there and apologized numerous times for her Prefect, but Ben could only hear her voice and not what she was saying.  
  
He was welcomed by a group of boys who were still awake. There were those two Chinese boys, another boy who seemed to have gotten less exercise than Ben (if that was at all possible), and the only boy he had actually met previously that night, Dameon deBarbarack. Ben slept on a bed between the overweight boy and Dameon. He talked to Dameon, face first on his bed, Dameon sitting up on his own, until he fell asleep which didn't take too long.   
  
END GRACEFUL ENTRANCE

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End of this part of the fic. You know, the prelude is over and hopefully so is the shortness of the chapters. I solemnly swear that the chapters will get longer from now on. To all of those who are actually reading this. . .

REVEIW GOSH DARNITT!!


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